


Dum-E Is Trying

by tuesday



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Family, Fix-It, Infinity Gauntlet, M/M, Matchmaking, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Resurrection, Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie) Spoilers, Starkbot Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 07:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20305453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesday/pseuds/tuesday
Summary: Dum-E had always had a mind of his own.  From his humble beginnings dropping tools to his time spraying Tony with a fire extinguisher when Tonywasn't on fire, he'd been his own person.  His own deeply contrary, well meaning, and sometimes incompetent person.(In which Dum-E does his best at engineering a happily ever after.)





	Dum-E Is Trying

**Author's Note:**

  * For [is_this_thing_anon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/is_this_thing_anon/gifts).

> Recip, I am so pleased at the chance to treat you. I used a few of your Dum-E tags, though Dum-E is not bad at matchmaking in this. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> This is mostly Endgame compliant and FFH divergent.

1.

Dum-E had always had a mind of his own. From his humble beginnings dropping tools to his time spraying Tony with a fire extinguisher when Tony _wasn't on fire_, he'd been his own person. His own deeply contrary, well meaning, and sometimes incompetent person. 

So really it should have been no surprise that when the Avengers decided to store the Infinity Gauntlet in Tony's garage while they were rebuilding the time machine that Dum-E, having been told Tony wasn't coming back by a very teary-eyed Morgan, helped himself to said glove and made a wish.

Lying on his garage floor and aching all over, Tony said, "Good boy."

2.

Pepper took 'til death do us part a little too seriously. Tony had only been dead a few days, but she wasn't really getting over the whole widow thing.

"Tony, I love you," she said, "but I don't think I can keep doing this."

"I stopped for five whole years," Tony said.

"Honey, you have never stopped in your life." Pepper kissed his cheek. She held his hand. She said, "I do love you. But I don't want to be married to you anymore."

Later that night, Tony sat in the garage with Dum-E. He whirred cautiously in Tony's ear.

"Yeah, I don't think that'll work." Tony was maybe a little bit drunk. He patted Dum-E on the grip. "But thanks anyway."

3.

Life carried on. Tony's eldest came with him. His youngest split her days between both parents.

Tony spent a lot of time in his workshop. He said, "What do you think of the new design?"

Dum-E made a noise of approval.

"Yeah, I like it, too."

Maybe Tony should have been concerned that he'd been brought back a little bit off, a little bit wrong. He'd never been able to communicate with Dum-E like this before, had had to rely on actions, context, and guesswork for what Dum-E was thinking. Then again, if the worst that had come of them both using the Infinity Stones was a few missing days and Tony having a new understanding of Dum-E, then that was a small price to pay.

Maybe Dum-E was a little bit smarter. Maybe Tony was a little bit more attuned to him. Tony couldn't say for sure what kind of wish Dum-E had made.

Tony was alive. He'd take it.

4.

There was a secret war with the Kree. In the time everyone else was distracted off-planet, a disgruntled ex-employee tried to take over Tony's anti-alien defense network. Peter got in the way. It was a whole thing. A terrible thing.

"Yes," Tony told Dum-E. "Next time, you and FRIDAY have my permission to tell your little sister no."

Probably Tony shouldn't be giving the AI he'd made as a teenager and who had trouble figuring out the difference between a wrench and a screwdriver higher admin access than the one he'd made after decades of experience. Then again, Dum-E had more of a moral center than someone who'd originally been shelved before she'd come out of the design phase.

"How did Fury even get hold of these?" Tony asked as he put the glasses away. 

5.

Was it weird that Tony was so happy? 

He was divorced. He was getting in life-endangering scrapes on a semi-regular basis. He'd moved into the new Avengers base when he wasn't at the Manhattan penthouse with Morgan. The last time he'd run a scan of his body, he'd gotten further confirmation that Dum-E had no idea what he was doing when he'd brought Tony back.

But Tony was. He was ridiculously happy.

6.

"I went to MIT and I turned out fine," Tony told Dum-E. "I'm just saying: he could do worse. He is doing worse."

Dum-E made a sad sound.

"He's staying local. Of course he'll still be around." Tony tapped the screwdriver in his hand against his chin. "He'll come visit. Maybe less with college classes to contend with, but he'll be here. You'll see."

And Peter did. Peter came to visit more than was convenient for Tony, who had realized that he really did need the distance Peter being in Massachusetts would provide.

7.

This was Tony's fault. He'd admit it. He'd engaged in poor informational security and brought this upon himself. In his defense, he'd never thought that betrayal would come from within.

"You don't think that's a little overdramatic?" Rhodey said.

"My firstborn has turned on me. No, I don't think it's overdramatic." Tony put his head in his hands. "I have a date. How do I have a date?"

"Because you didn't lock your phone," Rhodey said.

"Because Dum-E knows all my passwords," Tony said. He didn't really have a phone per se, more like a series of devices he could make texts and calls from.

"But if he thought you were lonely, out of everyone you know, why did he choose Peter?" Rhodey wondered.

Tony's silence was conspicuous.

"Oh, Tony." Rhodey sighed. "You're going on that date, aren't you?"

"Dum-E made the date. He can go."

Rhodey patted Tony on the shoulder. "Enjoy your date."

Tony glared at Rhodey, then at Dum-E. "This is going to be a disaster."

8.

Peter's face was lit up with his very real pleasure when Tony picked him up. (From his college dorm. Because he was in college.)

Tony hated himself, but it didn't stop him from looking Peter up and down and appreciating that Peter's idea of date clothes was apparently the very nice suit Tony had bought him for his high school graduation. (Which still fit him. Because very recently, Peter had been in high school. Fuck.)

"I was thinking we could do dinner and a movie," Tony said, "but if that sounds too boring, we could do something else instead."

Peter beamed at him. "That sounds great."

"Great." Tony put the car in gear.

At the end of the night, Tony meant to take Peter home—to the dorms. Instead, he brought Peter home—to the penthouse. In his defense, Peter had said, "I don't want the night to be over yet," and looked at Tony with a hopeful expression Tony had always been weak to, even before Tony had realized he was attracted to Peter. Tony was bad at saying no to that. He was bad at saying no to _Peter_.

Which was how he ended up in the lab, showing Peter a new suit design and wondering if he could muster up enough self-control not to take Peter straight to bed right after this. He suspected the answer was no.

Dum-E rolled over with a coffee mug.

"Thank you," Peter said as he took it. "That's very thoughtful of you, Dum-E."

Tony grabbed it from Peter's hands. "What have I said about accepting drinks from him?"

"Check for motor oil first." Peter took the mug back. "It doesn't smell like motor oil." He took a sip. He made a face. "Oh, man, that's not—" He looked at Dum-E. "Uh, it was a good try?"

"Don't encourage him," Tony said.

"Someone should," Peter said. He looked down at his coffee. "But I'm definitely not finishing this."

Tony showed him where the mouthwash was so he could rinse his mouth out. Somehow, that turned into making out in the en suite, which turned into Peter tugging Tony out of the bathroom into the bedroom, and then the bed was right there—

At least it hadn't been _straight_ to bed.

9.

Dum-E's next act of independence was ordering a bunch of engagement rings.

"He only needs one," Tony said, "and we've been on one date."

Dum-E pointed at a simple gold band.

"Yeah, that's my favorite, too."

No one said Tony would actually have to use it.

10.

It took a few years, but Dum-E was ring bearer at Tony's second wedding. Morgan stood beside him holding the flowers.

"Don't drop the rings," Tony emphasized again. He was smiling, though, and hadn't been able to stop all day. He turned to Morgan. "Okay. I'm trusting you. Watch over your big brother. It's in your hands now."

Morgan saluted.

11.

They lived happily ever after.


End file.
